Orienting device and method



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Jam. 6% W70 H. AGUELAR ORIENTING DEVICE AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 9, 1967 INVENTOR.

HENRY AGUILAR 793m gawk ATTORNEY S Jam. 9 W70 H. Asulmm mwvm ORIENTINGDEVICE AND METHOD Filed Oct. 9, 1967 5 Sheets-$heet 2 Jam" 9 1970 H.AGUILAR ORIENTING DEVICE AND METHOD 3 Shaets-Sheet 3 Filed 061:. 9, 1967INVENTOR.

HENRY AGUILAR m, NJ 1 ATTORNEYS United States Patent U.S. Cl. 193-43Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device comprising a pair ofvertically extending slide surfaces in opposed relation movable apartfor slidably receiving an elongated, generally pear-shaped, object, orpear, between the upper portions of said surfaces with the main body ofsaid object in slidable engagement with said surfaces at generallydiametrically opposite single points only on said body, for downwardsliding between said surfaces and for automatic pivotal movement duringsaid movement so the protuberance on said body will swing under theinfluence of gravity to a downwardly projecting position for dropping insaid position from the lower portion of said surfaces.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In the pear canning industry the orienting ofpears for coring and peeling has heretofore involved relativelyexpensive and complicated machinery incorporating rollers, brushes andother elements having high maintenance and inspection expense, and wheremechanical peelers are used the pears are manually oriented and fed tothe peelers.

In the present invention, the device for orienting and for feeding thepears for subsequent processing, such as either peeling or coring, orboth, is more economical to make, operate and maintain, and to moreefficiently and accurately orient and feed different sizes of pearsirrespective of irregularities in surface contours of such pears, thanheretofore. Furthermore, the orienter is readily adapted to be installedon conventional pear peelers and corers substantially withoutmodification of such peelers and corers.

SUMMARY The present orienting device is one for orienting a pear orpear-shaped object having perpendicularly disposed major and minor axes,and a main body portion at one end of said major axis and a neck portionat the other end of said major axis adjoining each other. The main andbody portions are generally of circular cross-sectional contour, and themain body portion is substantially larger than the neck portion. Thepear is oriented so that the major axis is substantially vertical withthe neck portion directed downwardly.

The method and apparatus are such that the pear is pivotally supportedbetween and against a pair of spaced opposed surfaces at a pair only ofsingle, substantially opposite points at the outer surface of its mainbody, which points are disposed at substantially the maximum diameter ofthe body on an axis extending transversely of said major axis forswinging the neck portion to a downwardly extending position under theinfluence of gravity. j

The pear is moved downwardly under the influence of gravity during itspivotal movement, so as to be discharged at the lower end of its pathwith the neck end projecting downwardly, so that each pear will beuniformly positioned for subsequent processing, such as peeling andcoring, or otherwise.

Patented Jan. 6, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the drawings,FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of the orienter and feeder in aposition with an unoriented pear at the upper end, and a conventionalreceptacle at the lower end to receive the oriented pear;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of FIG. 1 as seen at a right angle tothe view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1 with certain parts ofthe frame broken away;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the opposed guideplates only at line 4-4 of FIG. 2 when the guide plates are relativelyclose to each other. The dot-dash line positions indicate the positionof the slides when a pear, also indicated in dot-dash lines, is betweenthe guide plates;

FIG. 5 is a detached elevational view of the plate actuating cam in aposition between the cam engaging members that are rigid with theplates;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the pearengaging surface ofone of the pair of plates between which each pear is oriented, such pearbeing indicated in dot-dash lines in unoriented and oriented position;

FIG. 7 is a side-elevational view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing amodification of the plate actuating means.

FIG. 8 is a greatly reduced fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 showing amodification of the invention different from FIGS. 1 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary reduced size view showing a. furthermodification.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT The orienter and feeder comprises a pair ofvertically extending and vertically elongated, opposed guide plates ormembers 1 that, in turn, are supported for movement toward and away fromeach other.

In FIGS. 1, 2 the means disclosed for supporting said plates for theaforesaid movement comprises vertically extending arms 2 that arepivotally connected at their lower ends to a horizontally disposed baseframe member 3 by pivots 4.

The opposed faces 5 (FIG. 4) of plates 1 are each preferably formed toprovide a very shallow channel extending longitudinally of each plate,the bottom of which is shown as being substantially centrally positionedbetween the side edges of the latter, and concavely rounded so that themain, enlarged body portion of a pear, the latter being generallydesignated 6 (indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 4) will not contactplates 1 at more than one point on each surface 5 when the pear isdescending between the plates I. In FIG. 4 the plates 1 are indicated indot-dash lines in expanded or spaced relation with the pear 6 betweenthem and in engagement with the faces 5 at the bottoms of the channels.

Hereinafter the pears, wherever indicated in the drawings, whether infull or dot-dash lines, will be generally designated 6, it beingunderstood that in actual practice, only one pear is between the opposedfaces at a time, hence where more than one is shown (FIGS. 1, 6), thepear is indicated in different positions during the descent of said pearbetween said surfaces, or during passage through the device.

Preferably the Opposed faces 5 of plates 1 are generally parallel witheach other when no pear is between them straight from end-to-erd, butthe lower portions 7 at the sides of the bottom (FIG. 6) may be relievedto extend slightly away from each other in a downward direction.

Inclined walls 8 at the upper ends of plates 1 extend divergentlyupwardly relative to each other from said upper ends to receive pears 6thereon for rolling of said pears to between the upper ends of saidplates for downward movement between the plates when the latter aremoved apart. Each of the inclined upper surfaces of the Walls 8 may beflat or planar except for a ridge 9 (FIGS. 1, 3) that extends slantinglyfrom a point midway between the upper end of each plate across each walltoward diagonally opposite upper corners of the pair of walls (FIG. 3).

A vertical wall 10, secured to each wall 8 at one of the lateral endsthereof extends horizontally across the lateral end edge of the wall 8opposite thereto to close the space between the pair of walls 8 at theirlateral ends, so that the walls 8 and 10 coact to provide an expansiblehopper for each pear that is fed onto the upper inclined surfaces ofwalls 8.

The ridges 9 insure against a pear entering the channel defined by facescentrally thereof at the upper ends of plates 1, so that when the upperends of plates 1 move apart to admit the pear to between said ends, itsentry will be at one side or the other of the bottom of the channel.

The walls of the expansible hopper will remain closed during movement ofthe plates and walls 8 toward and away from each other.

A horizontally extending coil spring 13 is connected at its ends to arms2 at points intermediate their upper and lower ends for yieldably urgingplates 1 toward each other at all times.

A projection 17 (FIGS. 2, 3) projecting laterally from the same side ofeach arm 2 and outwardly relative to plates 1, is rigid with each arm,and a cam 18 is posi tioned between said projections 17, which cam isrotatable about a horizontal axis, being secured on one end of a shaft19 that, in turn, is connected with a motor or other suitable source ofpower 20. Spring 13 yieldably holds the projections, or cam-engagingmembers 17, against opposite sides of cam 18.

Cam 18 has oppositely outwardly extending corresponding lobes 23 (FIG.5), each having corresponding arcuately extending cam surfaces 24 facingoppositely outwardly from shaft 19 and extending progressively furtherfrom points diametrically opposite to each other adjacent to said shaft.

The cam engaging members 17 engage said cam surfaces substantially atsaid diametrically opposite points when the plates 1 are at theirclosest positions relative to each other, and as the cam rotatesclockwise (FIGS. 1, 4) plates 1 swing apart to their widest spacing uponthe outer end portions of surfaces 24. When the maximum spacing betweenfaces 5 is reached, the lower portions 7 (FIG. 5) of said faces will bespaced apart a greater distance than the maximum diameter of the largestbody portion 25 of any pear fed into the hopper at the upper ends ofplates 1 so such pear will drop from between said plates v1.

The aforesaid largest body portion 25 is the portion adjoining the stemend portion 26 (FIG. 1) and the maximum diameter of said portion 25 isthe diameter transversely of the longitudinal axis of the pear thatextends through portion 26.

Below the lower ends of plates 1, a cup assembly generally designated 27is shown, which assembly may be the same as indicated at 177 in US.Patent 3,055,408, issued Sept. 25, 1962, to T. M. Harrer et al.,including the actuating means, or as generally designated 6 in US.Patent 3,332,559, issued July 25, 1967 to M. W. Loveland. This assemblyis part of a pear corer and peeler, of thetype described in saidpatents, in which the pear-receiving cup 28 is adapted to receive a pearhaving its stem-end portion directed downwardly for manual positioningof a pear therein with the stem end down, after which the pear is movedaway from the receiving point and is tilted to a horizontal position forimpalement on a spindle of a pear peeler and cor-er, substantially ofthe type shown a d des r bed in t e ab ve-d sig a ed at nt No-3,055,408, or in FIG. 4 in US. Patent 3,018,179 of Jan. 23, 1962 to B.C. Coons et al. The cup assembly is not part of the present invention,and is indicated merely to show one application of the presentinvention, it being understood that the present invention is adapted foruse wherever orientation of elongated, generally pear-shaped objects isdesired. As will later appear, by the present invention, a pear or thelike will always be discharged from between the lower ends of plates 1with the stem end portion pointing downward, irrespective of itsposition at the upper end of the plates.

Any suitable conventional unit feeder may be employed to feed pears, atpredetermined timed intervals, to the upper ends of plates 1 fordownward passage between faces 5 of said plates. Only a single pear isfed to each orienting device at a time, although it is obvious that abattery or row of such devices may be employed with each peeler andcorer corresponding in number to the number of peeling and coringelements in each machine, each of some of such machines having many suchelements for peeling and coring many pears at a time.

At the present time, most mechanical peelers are manually fed, ashereinbe'fore noted, each pear being manually placed in a transfer cupin oriented position by an operator.

The speed of motor 20 or of any conventional transmission between themotor and the cam shaft 19 may be varied to correspond to the time eachpear receiver is positioned below plates 1.

In the modification as shown in FIG. 7, the difference between thedevice illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 and that of FIG. 7 is in the manner ofmoving the plates 1, hence the same numbers will be used as in FIGS. 1-4where the parts are the same. Thus the cam-engaging members 17, cam 18,shaft 19, and motor 20 are omitted.

In FIG. 7 the cup assembly 27 is indicated in dot-dash lines and thisview is from the side opposite to that of FIG. 1.

A double-acting cylinder and piston assembly 30 includes a verticallydisposed stationary air cylinder 31 having a piston 32 verticallyreciprocable therein, which piston has a vertical piston rod 33vertically slidable in a stationary guide bearing 34 for verticalreciprocable movement, and secured to rod 33 is a generally wedgeshapedelement 35 having oppositely outwardly facing cam surfaces 36 extendingdivergently upwardly. Said surfaces 36 are divergent at a wider anglerelative to vertical at their lower end portions than at their upper endportions for a reason that will appear later on.

Said element 35 is supported in a position along one lateral side of thepair of plates 1 and arms 2, each having a roller 37 supported thereonin a position at said one side at points intermediate the upper andlower ends of arms 36, which rollers are equally spaced above pivots 4and are preferably flanged to receive one of the wedge sides of element35 between the flanges of each roller, and the cam surfaces 36 of saidsides will be against the rollers.

When piston 32 is at the uppermost end of its movement, rollers 37 areat the convergent lower ends of surfaces 37, and upon downward movementof said piston, the element 35 will be moved downwardly and plates 1will be progressively moved apart for admittance of a pear between theupper ends of said plates. This movement is relatively rapid during theinitial downward movement of element 35 but is relatively slow as theupper portions of surfaces 36 engage the rollers. The maximum opening ofthe plates is the same as described for FIGS. l-S.

The surfaces 36 ofelement 35 are on yieldable arms 38 extendingdivergently upwardly from piston rod 32 and their upper ends may beconnected by an adjusting screw of turnbuckle 39 for spacing saidsurfaces to move plates 1 apart different distances according to the adsju ment that is made.

Inasmuch as the movement of cup assembly 6 in the above Patent 3,332,559is air actuated, it is obvious that the air-actuated assembly 30 of FIG.7 may readily be applied to the device shown and described in saidpatent for moving the cup assembly 27.

Referring to the modification shown in FIG. 8, side plates 43 maycorrespond to side plates 1, with a similar expansible hopper 44 at theupper ends thereof, and sets of parallel rods 45 may be pivotallyconnected at one of their ends to said plates at points along one of thelateral edges of the latter, While the opposite ends of rods 45 arepivotally connected to a vertically reciprocable rod 46. The rod 46 maybe vertically reciprocated by a double acting air cylinder 48 similar tothat of assembly 30, or by any other suitable means, said rod 46 beingconnected with the piston in the cylinder 48.

Plates 43 are respectively on carriages 49 that, in turn, may besupported by rollers 50 on stationary rails 51. Obviously, the carriagesmay be supported in different manners for horizontal reciprocablemovement toward and away from each other.

Upon upward movement of the rod 46 the sides 43 will move apart, andupon upward movement of rod 46 they will move toward each other.

A cup 52, such as in assembly 27 or in any other arrangement, may bepositioned below plates 43 to receive each pair that is discharged fromthe lower end of the space between the plates.

In the modification of FIG. 9, the side plates 54 may have the samecontours on their opposed faces as those of FIG. 1, but plates 54 are,in turn, pivotally connected at their lower ends 55 to arms 56 thatcorrespond to arms 2, and in FIG. 9 the arms 56 are adapted to movetoward and away from each other in the same manher as arms 2, but theupper end of the plates are yieldably held away from the arms 1 bysprings 57. The upper ends of the plates 55 have divergently upwardlyextending walls 59 that may have vertical end walls 60 corresponding toend walls and that function in the same manner for the same purpose.

This form of invention may be suitable where a battery of adjacent oradjoining orienters may be desired and where the sizes of pears fed toeach orienter may widely vary. The yieldability of the plates 55independently of arms 57 but under the influence of the pears enableseach set of plates to yield differently in those instances where thearms of the battery of orienters are connected for simultaneousactuation at predetermined uniform distances.

In operation, referring to FIG. 1, the slope of walls 8 is sufiicient toinsure downward sliding of a pear deposited thereon for passage into thespace between the upper ends of plates 1 upon said plates moving apartsufficiently to receive such pear, and the ridges 9 will insure the pearentering the space between said plates at one side of the bottom of thevertically extending shallow channel on the opposed faces of the plates.In some instances only one plate need be formed with a channel, but itis essential to the successful orienting operation that the opposedsurfaces of the plates be such that the pear will engage said surfacesat two opposite points only. By this structure, the pear is pivotallysupported at said points for downward swinging of the neck portion underthe influence of gravity.

If the pear were deposited centrally between the sides of the channel,in some instances, where it is positioned with the neck extendingvertically upwardly, the pear may not rotate to swing the neck downward,but where it is compelled to move laterally to the center of thechannel, it will be unbalanced for downward swinging of the neckportion.

Many pears have surface irregularities that may also tend to preventswinging of a pear descending between the opposed surfaces, but byrelieving the opposed surfaces at 7 (FIG. 6) at opposite sides of thebottom of the channel, there can be no resistance to rotation of a peardue to possible contact between the neck portion 26 of the pear and thefaces of the plates at opposite sides of the bottom of the channel, apear will freely rotate about the two opposite points in contact withthe bottom of the channel.

The contour of cams 18, and the position of pivots 4 result in arelatively sudden slowing of the rate of descent of a pair from theinitial relatively rapid descent, each materially contribute to completeswinging of the neck portion 26 to a downwardly extending position underthe momentum developed in the neck portion 26, in such pears as mayresist such swinging.

In canneries the pears are usually wet when fed to the peeler and corer,hence they readily slide between the plates, and if desired, saidsurfaces may be of Teflon or any other anti-friction material.

The rate of movement downward of the pears may be controlled by the rateof movement of the plates 1 away from each other. Normally the intervalbetween movement of the feeding cup 28 from below the orienter to thepeeler, is relatively long, in asmuch as each transfer of a pear to thepeeler is delayed until a previously positioned pear is peeled. Inasmuchas the present orienter is capable of orienting pears at a far fasterrate than a peeler is capable of peeling, one orienter may serve aplurality of peelers.

While I have illustrated and described the invention in detail, I do notwish to limit myself to the precise details shown and described, butdesire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as may comewithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Orienting apparatus for orienting a pear and the like havingperpendicularly disposed major and minor axes and a main body portion atone end of said major axis and a neck portion at the other end of saidmajor axis adjoining said main body portion so that said major axis willbe vertically extending with said neck portion, said main and said neckportions being generally of circular outline in cross-sectional contour,and said main body being substantially larger than said neck portion,comprising:

(a) a pair of vertically extending members having generally opposedvertically extending surfaces,

(b) means supporting said members for movement away from each other withsaid surfaces extending convergently relative to each other in adownwarddirection during said movement, from a position in which a pear isreceived between the upper portions of said surfaces in engagement withthe latter at opposite points on said body portion, to a position inwhich such pear continues to move downwardly between said surfaces underthe influence of gravity to and past lower end portions of the latter,

(c) means connected with said members for so moving the latter apart ata predetermined rate of speed for permitting said downward movement ofsaid pear,

(d) said members being of greater width than the maximum length of apear, and at least one of said opposed surfaces being formed to providethe sides of a vertically elongated channel of concave shape incross-sectional contour facing the other member for guiding a pearbetween said members along a vertical path parallel with said channel,

(e) means at the upper ends of said members for guiding pears to oneside of the upper end of said channel for entering said channel at oneside of the center of the latter whereby each pear will center itselfrelative to the sides of said channel for said downward movement alongsaid vertical path when each pear is between said surfaces and inengagement with both as said members are moved apart for permitting saiddownward movement of said pear under the influence of gravity.

2. In apparatus as defined in claim 1;

(f) the surface of said other member that is opposed to said channelbeing formed to provide the sides of a vertically elongated channelcorresponding to the first-mentioned channel, whereby the sides of bothchannels will cooperate for so centering a pear between said channelsand for guiding a pear along said vertical path When so centered.

v3. In apparatus as defined in claim 1;

(f) said means at the upper ends of said members for guiding pears toone side of the upper end of said channel comprising a wall extendingslantingly upwardly and outwardly from the upper end of one of saidmembers for supporting a pear deposited thereon for sliding or rollingdownwardly thereon to between the upper ends of said members and ridgeover each member extending slantingly thereacross for deflecting suchpear during its movement downward on said wall to said one side of saidchannel.

4. Orienting apparatus for orienting a pear and the like havingperpendicularly disposed major and minor axes and a main body portion atone end of said major axis and a neck portion at the other end of saidmajor axis adjoining said main body portion so that said major axis willbe vertically extending with said neck portion movement, said main andsaid neck portions being generally of circular outline incross-sectional contour, and said main body being substantially largerthan said neck portion, comprising:

(a) a pair of vertically elongated members of corresponding length andof greater width than the maximum length of a pear, said members beingin sideconvergently relative to each other in a downward directionduring such downward movement of a pear therebetween from a position inwhich a pear is received between the upper ends of said channels inengagement with said surfaces at opposite points on said body portion,to a position in which said pear continues downward movement betweensaid surfaces under the influence of gravity to and past the lower endportions of the latter,

(c) guide means respectively at the upper end of each 5. In apparatus asdefined in claim 4; (d) said guide means comprising a pair of pearsupports rigid with said members for movement therewith extendingslantingly upwardly and outwardly relative to each other with the lowerend of each at the upper end of one of said members for supporting pearsthereon for sliding, by gravity, over the lower ends of said supportsand for discharge of said pears into the space between said upper endsof said members at said points.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS by-side relation having spaced,opposed surfaces formed to provide shallow channels of generally con-1,609,994 12/1926 Ems 19833 cave shape in cross-sectional contour forengaging 2,47L479 5/1949 Coons 19833 opposite sides of a pear forcentering a pear between 3,126,993 3/1964 Van Der Schoot 19343 saidchannels and for guiding such pear for down- ANDRES NIELSEN PrimaryExaminer ward movement in a vertlcal path,

(b) means supporting said members for movement US Cl. X.R.

away from each other with said channels extending 19833

